DHS "Black box" interchangeable dark ride coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios?

Hotamber

Hotamber

Member
It's called the Void at Disney Springs. Sounds like Muppet Vision or a show might get VR headsets. The most cost effective option is to have guests use their own phone and battery life through the Disney Play app. They can finally do the Tim Burton Mad Tea Party and Dumbo ride.
 
winstongator

winstongator

Well-Known Member
MickeyMouse10 said:
I hope they aren't going the Universal route with screens. I still want to be able to see real objects like animatronics and props while on a ride.

I realize it is probably a lot cheaper to do, but I don't find it as memorable an experience. And the amount of projection rides and shows at Disney would officially be getting out of hand.
Click to expand...
Have you done the VOID at Disney Springs? Sure, it's one little screen, but I'm happy to pay the $30 or so for 15 minutes but wouldn't pay 4x that for a full day (so we buy annual passes).

When I did the VOID, I had visions of it being in the parks. Not because it's cheaper, but can be re-configured quickly, or have multiple avenues for play increasing one's desire to ride multiple times. Would you build a Wreck-it-Ralph attraction? With a black box you can bring one in for 6 months to a year - go from pre-opening to just after digital/dvd release. Where it makes the most sense for me is with the Marvel properties, so more of a California thing. You cycle through the Avengers, or have different enemies at the end.
 
winstongator

winstongator

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
Those infinite layouts are still bounded by something physical. Steel stud framing isn’t difficult to install and remove but it is still anchored to the floor. That means you have to remove not just the wall but also an area around it and carefully redo the finish so that it matches the high quality floor finish required of a truly trackless ride system. Gypsum board (drywall) is also not difficult to install but using it for a projection surface requires actually achieving a Level 5 finish (on a scale of 1-5). That’s a lot of intensive labor just going into temporary walls.

Moving a wall is also not something that can just be done as art direction. It will require an architect and engineers to design and approve, pushing the whole attraction through the building permitting process. The wall moves also have to be coordinated with all of the stuff in the ceiling like the HVAC system, fire sprinklers and lighting. It is possible to build walls that are not as tall and avoid some of those systems, but that means more anchors into the floor. Set pieces only add to all of that work. They have to be anchored into that nice floor. If they have any sort of movement or lighting they will need power that is coming from somewhere.

When all is said and done, how much less work is that than a permanent attraction? How is the Studio going to be convinced to keep funding all of that work for subsequent films?
Click to expand...
More of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but how long did it take them to swap one lane of Secrets of the Empire to the Wreck-it-Ralph VR experience? I'd prefer a variable VR ride than trackless dark ride.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom